Influencing Skills by Mark Gillan

Video link: https://youtu.be/TraGMC4MDgk

Exercise: Influence Questions Do we fight against being influenced when we are more aware of someone trying to influence us? Influence works upon the sub-conscious?

Definition: Influence and Persuasion Influence: General term – influence occurs any time a person deliberately attempts to change a receiver’s thoughts, feelings, behaviours, ideology. Persuasion: Special instances of influence – persuasion occurs any time a person (source) deliberately uses communication in an attempt to change a receiver’s thoughts, feelings, behaviours, ideology. Both influence and persuasion concern deliberate change. Each diverges because persuasion requires communication (verbal / non-verbal messages) seeking attitude change, by contrast, influence can happen without communication and may achieve behavioural (external) change without gaining attitude (internal) change. For example, behaviour could change as a result of threats, bullying or intimidation.

Definition: Power Ability to influence and mode of influencing can be affected by how much perceived power in specific situations. “The capacity of individuals to overcome resistance on the part of others, to exert their will and to produce results consistent with their interests and objectives” Andrej Huczynski and David Buchanan, Organisational Behaviour, 4th Edition (Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2001), p 805.

Types of Power French and Raven defined 5 types Coercive Force someone to do something against their will. Often physical, other threats may be used. Reward Ability to get people to things by offering incentives and / or withholding rewards. However, this only works if people really desire the reward. Position (Legitimate) Vested in a particular role. The authority given to a person by organisation. Referent People wanting to be like you or where you are liked. Quite often the person with this power is said to be charismatic. Expert Associated with having knowledge, information or skills needed by others. John French and Betram Raven, ‘The Bases of Social Power’ in D Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in Social Power (Institute of Social Research, 1958)

Managerial Situations When influence can be used Initiating Changes Negotiating with colleagues Negotiating with external customers or suppliers Appraisals Delegating work Meetings Problem solving activities Presentations

Six Underlying Principles Affecting Influence: Robert Cialdini Rule of Reciprocity Assimilation / Social Proof Scarcity Commitment and Consistency Authority Liking

The six rules / principles: Cialdini Rule of Reciprocity: This rule highlights many of our relationships develop through the norm, where one person tries to repay in some way what another has provided. Also known as the rule of ‘give and take’ (although possibly more ‘take’ than ‘give’ by those manipulating this built in norm. Assimilation / Social Proof: We are influenced by those who are most like us, especially in situations when unsure how to respond – our behaviour can be strongly influenced by what we see others doing. Peer pressure. Scarcity: Assignation of high value importance to opportunities when those opportunities are less available. Limiting access to something can make people want it more.

The six rules / principles: Cialdini … continued Commitment and Consistency: Following on from a commitment or taking a stand, people are more willing to agree to requests that are consistent with the commitment. In society, consistency is a behaviour highly valued. We tend not to trust people who do not stand with their principles or follow through a commitment – usually judged quite badly by others. Authority: Research conducted by Milgram (Huczynski et al, 2001) regarding obedience, there is evidence suggesting strong pressure within society for compliance with authority and high standing figures. Automatic obedience to symbols of authority, e.g. uniform, titles, social standing Liking: Security of people we know and like or comparable to them in thought and feelings. Physical attractiveness, similarity, compliments, praise, familiarity, association with someone else. Easier for acceptance.

Exercise: Power - Influence Many of the approaches might be considered unethical. Such behaviours do happen. Consider your own sources of power. Do you build relationships with influential people and people who can support you? Do you have particular knowledge or other resources that others need? Do people respect and trust you? Look at yourself in the mirror – what might your image say about you?

Push Raising my status Lowering yours

Pull Lowering my status Raising yours

Push and Pull Push Pull Stating facts and figures Judgements and stating objectives Insisting upon agreement of viewpoint Strong expression of opinion against others opinion Demands for commitment Asking about values, principles, priorities and needs Interest in other’s perceptions and emotions Asking the other party to explain themselves and / or give examples of that they mean Inviting new ideas, helping to build the meat around the bones Encouraging new perspectives Respecting other’s integrity

Power-Push Strategies to influence behaviour Variety of strategies can be adopted to influence; some strategies use power (Power-Push Strategies), whilst others seek to bring about change without coercion or use of position (Influence- Pull Strategies Buchanan and Badham, 1999 provided classification of Power-Push tactics, incl: Image Building – builds referent power. May also utilise our willingness to be influenced by those in authority by the person ‘power dressing’ Selective Information – using and controlling powerful information against others Scapegoating – ensuring others are blamed if things go wrong Formal Alliances – association with those in more powerful positions Networking – similar to formal alliances but in numbers. Making friends with many influential and powerful people using reciprocity Compromise – links to reciprocity. This tactic involves giving on one unimportant issue to gain favour and payback upon another issue. The unimportant issue would be used to appear important Rule Manipulation – based upon authority when rules can be applied when needed and ignored at other times when it best suits Others – wide range of other means to coerce people or undermine to obtain the preferred outcome David Buchanan and Richard Badham, Power, Politics and Organizational Change (Sage, 1999)

influence Pull Strategies Other strategies to influence behaviour that do not rely upon power include: Reasoning – logical argument to support a request Friendliness – developing a good friendly relationship between parties Coalition – group support, all involved Bargaining – negotiation and ability to provide benefits Assertiveness – firmly request David Kipnis identified managers tended to use these along with Sanctions and Higher Authority in differing orders of preference depending upon who they might be trying to influence; their manager, co-workers, subordinate. The higher ranking manager, the greater power, the greater range of available approaches. David Kipnis et al, ‘Patterns of Managerial Influence: Shotgun Managers, Tacticians and Bystanders’, Organizational Dynamics, Winter 1984, pp 58 – 67.

Exercise: Influence Consider a recent situation where you were influenced by someone to do something. Why did you do what was requested? Did you do it willingly or did you feel coerced or manipulated? Think of (a) situation(s) where you requested someone else to do something. What was your main approach to influencing them? Was this successful, if so, why do you think it worked? If not, what other approaches could you have used?

Video Link: https://youtu.be/cFdCzN7RYbw

Online Material Dr Robert Cialdini – official website with literature related to Influence at Work - http://www.influenceatwork.com/ Steven Pinker – official website – Harvard University, Department of Psychology - http://stevenpinker.com/ Youtube – Science of Persuasion – video at https://youtu.be/cFdCzN7RYbw Steven Pinker and Robert Cialdini – video at https://youtu.be/bJPPVDnvhRs Power and Infuence – John P. Kotter – google books https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gXkZZnwJA2sC&printsec=frontcover&source= gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Power, Social Influence and Sense Making – Herminia Ibarra and Steven B Andrews http://www.jstor.org/stable/2393414